Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Cake
Updated Sept. 5, 2022
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray or neutral oil
- 2large eggs
- 1½cups/330 grams packed light brown sugar
- ¾cup/180 milliliters neutral oil (such as vegetable or safflower)
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 2cups/280 grams lightly packed coarsely grated zucchini (from about 1 large or 2 small zucchini)
- 1¾cups/223 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅔cup/63 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 1cup/173 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1tablespoon coarse sugar (such as turbinado or Demerara)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
615 calories; 32 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 55 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 402 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the long sides to create a sling.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, light brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds. Add the grated zucchini and mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
- Step 3
Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda directly into the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined and no pockets of unincorporated flour remain. (Try not to overmix.) Add all but 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips to the batter and stir until evenly distributed.
- Step 4
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar and the reserved chocolate chips, pressing them in slightly so they stick. Bake until the cake puffs slightly and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached or with smudges of melted chocolate chips (the chips will be dark brown versus the lighter color of uncooked cake batter), 75 to 80 minutes.
- Step 5
Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the cake out of the pan and let cool completely on a rack before slicing, about 2 hours.
- The cake can be baked in a 9-by-2-inch round cake or springform pan. Grease the pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper round. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 55 minutes.
Private Notes
Comments
Last week I asked about substituting fat-free Greek yogurt for some of the oil. I figured it out and it was perfect - instead of 6oz of oil I used 2oz oil and 3oz of yogurt. Delicious, and eliminated 2/3 of the oil. Super moist and chocolatey.
I have tried many zucchini breads and cakes, but was always bothered by their oiliness. I have now made this one twice substituting the 3/4 cup oil with 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup either oil or melted butter or combination of the two ( to equal 1/4 cup). Found that hint on the King Arthur baking site. It really works well.
Perfect in a 9 inch round cake pan, baked 60 minutes. Moist and so delicious. The only change I made was the addition of a sprinkling of chopped pecans on the top along with the coarse brown sugar and chocolate chips. This cake will have thousands of 5 star reviews very shortly!
I greased the pan with a large amount of coconut oil, and did 2 parchment paper slings, one vertical and one horizontal. That made it easy to lift out of the pan. You should definitely let it cool almost completely in the pan, so the more underdone parts cook a bit longer. This bread was so good and not too sweet, lasted the family 2-3 days max.
5 stars! This is so delicious. I made this gluten free with a cup for cup gluten free flour blend (White Wings in Australia) - I would not recommend using almond flour as a gf substitute in this or any other chocolate cake recipe because you will not get a fudgy texture. Almond flour is best for fruit based cakes imo. I also substituted plain yogurt for 80% of the oil and used canola for the rest.
Loved how easy this was. It’s delicious, and we ate it right up, and my husband asked if we could make it again right away so we just did. My kid used the fine side of the box grater without me noticing, and that’s how we discovered that you can completely hide the zucchini if you want.